Apparatus for cleaning articles



. 1,589,721 c. H. SCHWANER l APPARATUS on CLEANING ARTICLES Fild March21; 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Juhe 22 1926.

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I, I I I v c. H. SQHWANER APPARATUS FOR CLEANING" ARTICLES Filed llarbh21', 1922 2 shun-sum 2 IIIIIIIIIIIIII I;

I I f cmnsfimwam Patented June 22, 1926.

CHARLES H, SCHWANER, F SCOTTSBLUFF, NEBRASKA,

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING ARTICLES.

Application filed March 21, 1922. Serial No. 645,584.

This invention relates to apparatus for 'cleaning articles such as watchmovements ,1)

and the like and has for an object to provide a mechanism into which andupon fi which the article will be inserted and secured and thereinsubjected to a stream of cleansing fluidwhile the article itself thussecured is being turned in various positions A further object of theinvention is to provide a device for cleaning articles which comprisesmeans for holdin the article firmly in a rotor subject to eing rotatedmanually or mechanically andduring such rotation or while stationarybeing subjected to a stream of cleansin fluid under pressure which will,by manipu ation, reach all parts of the article being subjected to thecleaning process. g

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of cleaningwhich consists in turning and otherwise manipulating an article to becleaned while also and simultaneously directing thereupon a stream'ofcleansing fluid under pressure which will reach and contact with allparts of the article being cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forcleaning articles being intended especially, though not necessarilyessentially, for cleaning watch movements and has for a further objectto provide means for holding a watch movement upon a rotating member insuch position that a manually directed stream of cleansing fluid mayenter into, impinge against and contact with all parts of the watchmovement whether stationary or in motion under its own power.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotor mounted uponpreferably, though not necessarily, a horizontal axis with means'forgripping an article, such for instance as a watch movement to bepractically concentric with the axis of rotation of the rotor, withmeans for directin a stream of cleansing fluid manually into the edge ofthe watch movement as thus suspended and secured, whereby when the rotoris manually rotated the watch movement may be reached in every part bysuch stream to contact with vand eliminate all of the gummy matter foundin or about the movement, journals or rotating parts, which saidcleansing fluid is conducted away from the point of use to a receptaclewherein such extraneous matter '4 at Figure 2;

may settle, permitting the cleansing fluid to e reused.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotor into whicharticles such, for instance, as' the watch movement hereinbeforereferred to may be inserted and clamped, provided with power forrotating the rotor at a high rate of speed after the cleansing processjust above referred to, so that when the cleansing has been completedthe article may be rotated at such high rate of speed for the purpose ofdryin by centrifugal force.

With these an other objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel parts, units, combinations, elements, constructions, mechanicalmovements and functions, together with mechanical and functionalequivalents thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view generally in side elevation, parts being shown invertical section, of the entire installation;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail View of the rotor showing grasped thereinan article intended to conventionally represent a watch movement;

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of the rotor seen from the side,indicated by arrow Figure 5 is a detail view, part1 in side elevationand partly in section, 0 a modified type ofv rotor. Figure 6 is atransverse or diametrical sectional view through the strainer or filterfor the cleansing fluid.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout thesevera views.

The improved apparatus which forms the subject matter of thisapplication comprises an arbor 10 journaled in a bearing 11 which ismounted for convenience u on any convenient type of table 12. In ainement with the arbor 10 is a journal bearing 13 journaled also in amember 14 spaced from and equivalent to the member 11. The particulartype of journaling or support shown in or indicated by the drawings isnot essential,

to the present invention, as any usual and ordinary means for journaling such rotating structure is within the scope of the presentinvention.

shown and as now considered a preferred form, a disk 17 ismounted'rigidly upon the journal 13 having guide slots 18 extendingdiametrically thereof in which are mounted to slide blocks 19. The endsof the jaw members 16 are pivotally connected with the sliding blocks 19in any approved manner,

one manner being shown by the telescoping sections 20 at Figure 3 towhich the jaws are directly pivoted, as at 21. Any approved means alsofor producing simultaneous inter-actionof the blocks 19 is provided, asfor instance the right and left screw 22, one or both ends of which areprovided with a squared extremity 23 'for receiving a a wrench or otherimplement for rotating the screw 22, which at the center is secured andjournaled in the section 13' of the journal 13.

The hinging of the jaws 16 to the head 15 may be accomplished in anyapproved manner. As specifically disclosed in the drawings, a strap 24is employed, rigidly secured to the head 15 in any approved manner, asby the screw 25 and at its opposite ends serving as pivots for theU-bend 26 of the pairs of jaw members 16.

It will be obvious, therefore, that in a structure as specifically shownin the drawings, the rotation of the right and left screw 23 will serveto simultaneously move toward or from each other the blocks 19 and carrytherewith the pivoted extremities of the jaw members 16. The jaws areprovided at such points as found desirable with notches'27 which willengage the article to be cleaned, as for instance, the plates 28 of aconventional watch movement, shown at Figure 2. B employing a pluralityof such notches when found desirable, the movements may be inserted atdifierent places along the length of the jaws, but with the swingingmovement of thejaws it is not found necessary in most cases to providemore than one set, of such notches, as the greater or less convergenceof the jaws will engage and clamp watch movements of any size upon whichit is desired to operate.

Mounted conveniently adjacent to the rotor comprising the entirerotating organization is a motor 29, preferably connected with the arbor10 by means of a universal joint 30. This universal joint 30 alsoincludes preferably a ring 31 knurled about its periphery which servesas a manual means for turning the rotor when the motor 29 is notenergized.

As a modified type of rotor and as disclosing one of the many typeswhich may be employed, Figure 5 illustrates fixed jaws 32 which areprovided throughout their lengths with a plurality of notches 33arranged to correspond to the standard sizes of watch movements. A jaw34 is pivoted to the head 15' at 35 and the disk 17 is provided with ascrew-threaded stud 36 with a nut 37 preferably, though not necessarily,knurled, which secures the swinging jaw 34-upon the screw-threaded stud36 to complete the clamping jaws, so that the watch movement 28 isclamped thereby in the same manner as shown at Figure 2, it beingunderstood, of course, that watch movements of difierent sizes than thatindicated conventionally at Figure 5 will be clamped at others of thenotches than those shown as clamping the movement at said figure.

Whatever the type of rotor, a trough 38 is placed beneath the rotorextending upwardly about the sides thereof nearly to its axis andcommunicating by means of a drain-pipe 3.9 with a filter 40. Preferablythis trough .39 is made of transparent or translucent glass and alighting element 41 is placed beneath the glass trough so as to lightthe interior of the structure when in operation. A dome '42, alsopreferably of glass, is provided to cover over the rotor and set downupon the trough 38 and is provided with means for inserting a nozzle, asfor instance the elongated slot 43, at the top and openings 44 at theends. The disk 17 is provided preferably with openings, as for instancethe arcuate slots 45-, registering radially with the opening 44 at oneend of the dome 42, so that the nozzle may be inserted through theopening 44 at that end and through the arcuate slots 45 to direct astream-of cleansing fluid against that side ofthe movement adjacent tosaid disk while the nozzle introduced through the opening 44 at theopposite end of the dome permits the direction of a stream of cleansingfluid against the opposite side of the movement clamped in the rotor.

The cleansing fluid employed for cleaning such articles as a. watchmovement is, of course, such fluid as will dissolve the accumulationfound .in such movements. In ordinary use the cleansing fluid may be thehydrocarbon known as gasoline, but it is to be understood that thepresent invention is in no way limited to the use of this specificfluid, as any usual and ordinary fluid or any fluid which may besubstituted for usual and ordinary fluid, may be employed. The requisiteis that it shall be such a fluid as shall dissolve the deposit and isdirected upon the article to be cleaned by the nozzle hereinbeforereferred to and indicated at -tively which communicate by means of pipes55 and 56 with the tanks-50 and 51 respectively adjacent the bottom.

Pressure upon the fluid in the tank is furnished in any approved mannerand from any approved source. shown a manual pump 57 connected by meansof a flexible pipe 58 and branch pipes 59 and 60 with said tanks 50 and51 respectively through valves 61 and 62. For determining the pressureunder which the fluid is delivered, pressure gauges 63 and 64 aremounted upon the tanks 50 and 51. Other valves 65 and 66 are providedwith sleeves 67 which are adapted to receive the drainpipe 68 of thefilter 40, so that this filter 40 may be rotated in suchposit-ion thatits drain-pipe 68 shall deliver fluid therefrom to either of the valves65 or 66.

In operating the apparatus in practising the process an article such,for instance, as a watch movement, is secured in the rotor in the mannerhereinbefore described, the dome 42 being removed manually for thepurpose of securing the article in position. The dome 42 is nowreplaced, this dome being provided only for the purpose of preventingthe sp attering of the cleansing fluid during the operation. Assumingthat the device is assembled as at Figure 1, the tank 50 is the tank todeliver the cleansing fluid through the nozzle 46. This'comes aboutthrough the creatin of air tension in said tank by the use of theapparatus shown, or otherwise, the valves 61 and 53 being open, thevalve 65 closed, the manual valve 48 being also closed. Upon the otherside the valves 54 and 62 are closed and the valve 66 open, wherebyfluid from'the pipe 68 may flow through the valve 66 into the tank 51.

The device is now in condition for operation and the operator simplyinserts the nozzle 46 through the slot 43 in the top of the dome andsimultaneously opens the "alve 48 in the manner indicated at Figure 1.'VVith the nozzle directed as indicated in that figure the stream ofcleansing fluid under pressure will be directed into the watch movementbetween the plates to impinge against the several wheels, pinions andother parts of the movement. Preferably in practice the escapement ofthe movement will be removed before the move- In the drawings is ment isplaced in this position, although the present invention is in no waylimited to this feature and the movement may be cleaned successfullywith the escapement in operative posit-ion.

The operator now turns therotor manually by engagement with the knurledsleeve .31 so that all parts of the movement are subject to thedirigible stream of cleansing fluid discharged from the nozzle 46. Afterthis step has been performed the nozzle is inserted laterally throughthe openings 44 in the ends of the dome whereby the stream is directedagainst the exterior surface of the plates and against the jewels andbearings accessible from the sides of the plate to complete thecleaning, the cleansing fluid taking up the accumulated matter of themovement and carrying it away, as through the filter, where it isfiltered out to the tank 51 where it is allowed to settle furthe', asmay be necessary.

The cleaning function completed, which will be done in a very shorttime, current is supplied to the motor 49 and the rotor carrying thearticle is rotated at av very high rate of speed, which throughcentrifugal action drives the cleansing fluid from the article veryquickly.

While the use of this device for the cleaning of watch movements hasbeen particularly stressed and emphasized herein, it is to be understoodthat the invention is in no waylimited to the cleanin of such articlesand is applicable to articles of various ty es and kinds and sizes.

Whi e it has also been indicated that gasoline is a desirable solvent,any other solvent may be substituted as hereinbefore noted.

The apparatus disclosed in the application has-been found by experimentto be a desirable form of apparatus for accomplishing the purpose, butit is to be understood that a great variety of other mechanisms andinstrumentalities may be substituted for carrying out the mechanicalfeatures of the present invention.

What I claim to be new is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning comprising a rotor consisting of convergingjaws hinged for relative movement, means to vary the angle ofconvergence of the jaws to clamp an article between said jaws, means tomanually rotate said rotor, means to mechanically drive said rotor at ahigh rate of speed, and a closure for the rotor providing means for theintroduction of a nozzle for; discharging cleansing fluid upon thearticle.

2. An apparatus for cleaning an article to receive articles ofdifl'erent sizes and clamp such article between the jaws, a closure forthe rotor provided. with openings to permit the insertion therethrough'of a dirigible manual nozzle, means externally of the closure for manualrotation of the rotor within the housing, and a motor connected with andadapted to rotate the rotor at a high rate of speed.

3. An apparatus for cleaning articles com-- prising a rotorhavingdiverging jaws, means for clamping the article to be cleaned between thediverging jaws, a housing for the rotor embodying openings proportionedto permit the insertion of a manual nozzle to direct a stream ofcleansing fluid upon the article clamped in the jaws, means externallyof the housing for imparting manual rotary movement to the rotor, and amotor connected with the rotor adapted to impart ra id rotary motion tothe rotor for centrifugal drying.

4. An apparatus a rotor consisting of jaws movable relative to the axisof rotation, means to vary the relation of the jaws to said axis toclamp an for cleaning comprising article between said jaws, means tomanually rotate saidrotor, means to mechanically drive said rotor at ahigh rate of speed, and a closure for the rotor provided with means forintroduction of a nozzle for discharging cleansing fluid upon thearticle.

5. An apparatus for cleaning an article comprising a rotor consisting ofjaws arranged to move relative to the axis of rotation, means tomanually vary the relation of the jaws relative to said axis to clamp anarticle between the jaws, a closure for the rotor provided with openingsto permit the insertion therethrough of a dirigible man- ;al nozzle,means externally of the closure for manual rotation of the rotor withinthe housing, and a motor connected with and adapited to rotate the rotorat a high rate of s ee I In testimony whereof I hereunto affix mysignature.

- CHARLES H. SCHWANER.

